Motor-car drive system.



H F HITNER MOTOR CAR DRIVE-SYSTEM. APPLlcTloN min Nov.10,1913.

Patented May 18, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

, lNvE-ron Y' MJL/27 VK M12-M VWMQAH @24x27 y Attye.

(Ibm

WITNESSES WITNESSES H. F. HITNEH.

MOTOR GAR DRIVE SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.10,1913.'

Patented May 18, 1915.

2 SHEETS--SHEET 2- INVENTOR HARRY F. HITNER, F MONT VERNON, OHIO.

MOTOR-CAR DRIVE SYSTEM.

appiicaticn med November 1o, 1913. serial No. s

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY' E Hrrnnii, acitizen of the United States, residing at Mount Vernon, in the county ofKnox and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Motor-Car Drive Systems, of which the following` is aspecification.

j The invention relates to mixed drives for automobiles wherein a primemover suoli as a gas engine is used in conjunction with a storagebattery .and a. motor dynamo. The invention has for its primary objects;the .provision of a mixed drive of the simplest lp'ossible arrangement;the provision 'of a miXeddrive-which ymay be easily operated 'by twoshifting membersfor handles one ol'- which is the controller handle andthe other of vhic'h is the main operating lever; and the `provision of amixed drivevwhich gives a positive control of the movements of Ithe carand wherein .the liability to injury through mishandling is reduced to aminimum. 011e embodiment of the invention is shown in. the accompanyingdrawing, wherein f Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showingY the generalarrangement of the entire sys.

tem, and Fig. 2 is. a. detail sectional View on an enlarged scale, ofthe switch block, and Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrammatic views illustratinga modification. f

In the construction as illustrated, 1 is an e; plosion engine whichl maybeof any ape proved type 2 is a motor dynamo having a compound wound`.field `with a predominating shunt winding; 3 is a drive shaftconnected to drive the wheels of the oar in any desired manner; 4a is astorage battery arranged in circuit with the series Winding of the motordynamo 2;-4is a controller drum operated by the handle 7 and adapted tocontrol the supply of current from the battery to the'motor dynamo;5 isanoscilla.- tory switch block whose movement serves to operate thecngineclutch as hereinafter set,

forthj 6 is the handle for shifting the switch block 5; and la is anigniter distributery in circuit with the storage battery l@ when thehandle 6 is in the position illustrated.

In' the particular embodiment et' the inF vention illustrated .te handleti has three operative positions o. Qite notches in by the letters as,5a, and i i l i v Specicatcn of Letters Patent.

Patenteuaiay is, 1915.

is in the ,position a. as illustrated the engine and motor are both indrivingr engagement with the shaft 3. lVhen the handle is moved totheposition Z) the motor still remains in driving engagement with the Shaft3, but the engine l is thrown out of connection. so that thecar has onlythe electric drive, the various speeds being regulated by the positionof the controller handle 7. TWhen the handle G reaches ine position othe engine is still out of drivingr engagement with the shaft 3, and thedirection of current through the motor armature is reversed, so that thecar runs backward under the control of the controller l. The windings ofthe motor dynamo are such tha;` when thev car is driven above a certainspeed by the engine 1, or is descending a hill at such relatively highspeed, the motor becomes a dynamo and serves to charge the battery 4.`When additional owei' is necessary to assist the engine as in hillclimbing, the flow of current from the batterymay be employed to drivethe motor 2 and so give the additional power necessary.'

The engine shaft 9 is-coupled to the mot( g shaft 10 by means of theclutch members 11 and 12, the member 12 being splined on the shaft 10and being operable by thel lever 13' pivoted at the point 14'.. Theupper end of the lever 13 is connected to the switch block 5 by means ofthe connecting rod 14, the switch block being pivoted at 15. `When thehandle 6 is in the position illustrated the clutch members 11 and 12 arein driving engagement, and the shaft 10 drives the shaft 3 by means ofthe clutch members 16 and 17 normally held in engagement, but manuallyoperable by means of the lever '18. Atv this time the igniterdistributor 7 isl in circuit with the battery l" by reason of the Wires19 etv and 20 and the contacts 2 1 and 22 which j both make iengagement-With the metallic plate 23ca'rried by the handle .6. n f At'this time'and vwitlrtlie controller' handle 7 in the position d asillustrated, the

motor and theignitioncirc its are broken,

yas it is desirable to control the engine and lingers. The drum 4 hasthev Contact plates 2l, 2li, .255, 2, E28, v

'ad 29.3K' verieus len lilla tov contact. inta fingers 30, 31, 32, 33,34, and 35, when the drum is rotated the necessary amount. The switchblock 5 is provided with the contact plates 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, and 41adapted to .ontact with the fingers 42, 43, 44, and 45 (see Fig. 2). Thelinger 35 is connected to the positive terminal of the battery 4n bymeans of the wire 46, and this linger 35 contacts with the plate 29 onthe drum, connected to the plate or strip 28 by means of the Wire 47,but since the plate 28 is out of contact with the finger 34 the circuitis broken at this point, and no current can fiow to the motor.

When the handle 7 is moved to the point d the contact fingers 69 and 70engage the control strip 71, thereby closing the ignition circuit,making it possible to start and operate the engine independently of' themotor.

If, however, the handle 7 is moved to the position e the finger 34contacts with the plate38, and the motor circuit is completed. Startingagain vwith the wire 46 this circuit includes the 'finger 35, plate 29,wire 47, plate 28, finger 34, resistance coils 48, wire 49, finger 42,plate 36, wire 50, plate 41, wire v52, plate 38, finger 44, wire 53,armature winding 54, wire 55, finger 45, plate 39, wire 56, plate 40,wire 57, plate 37, finger 43, `wire-58, terminal 59 of the serieswinding,.series winding of. motor, terminal 6() of series winding, andwire 61 to the negative terminal of the battery 4a. At this time all ofthe resistance is in the circuit, and the power exerted by the motor isa minimum. -As the controller handle 7 is shifted upward to the positionz' the amount of the resistance is decreased. For instance when` thedrum 4 is rotated to such a point that the plate 27 contacts with thefinger 33 the resistance coils located at the right hand end of theseries of coils 48 are cut out, and when the drum 4 reaches the positionz' with the plate 24 in contact with the finger 30 all of the resistancecoils are cut out, the arrangement shown and described being of course aconventional one in so far as the controller is concerned.

In the position of the parts as just de scribed, the motor supplementsthe driving Y action of the engine. If now the lever 6 is, moved to theposition b this condition ischanged. Themovement of the lever to theposition b does not in anywise affect the circuits as heretoforedescribed, since the fingers 42, 43, 44, and 45 still contactyllith theplates. 36, 37, 38, and 39 respectively, but such movement causes themovement of the clutch member 12 to the right, so that the engine shaftis no longer in driving engagement with the shaft 3, and this movementofthe handle also causes the disengagement of the plate A23 with thecontacts 21 and 22, so that the igniter circuit is broken. While thehandle or lever 6v is in this position b the engine 1 is therefore'entirely out of operation and the drive of the caris purely electric,the speed desired being secured by shifting the controller handle 7. Theshunt winding of the motor terminates at the posts 62 and 63, the post63 being connected to the wire 61 by means of the wire 64, while thepost 62 is connected to the series circuit at the right hand end oftheresistance 48 by means of the wire'65.

When the handle 6 is shifted to the position c the fingers 44 and 45 areshifted from the plates 3S and 39 to the plates 40 and 41.V Such shiftsecures a reversal of current fiowing through the armature 54 and causesthe motor to run backward, assuming of course that the controller handle7 is in one of the positions e, f, g, t, or i. Starting with the wire'49, the circuit at this time is as follows. Finger 42, plate 36, Wire50, plate 41, and finger 45, wire 55, armature 54, wire 53, linger 44,plate 40, wire 57 plate 37, finger 43, wire 58, terminal 59, serieswinding of motor, terminal 60, and wire 6l. The current is thus reversedin direction through the armature, without reversing the direction ofcurrent through the field, so that the motor runs backward, the speedbeing dependent upon the position of the controller handle.

In order to prevent the shifting of the handle 6 from the position b tothe position c when the motor circuit is complete, the locking lever 66is provided working through a perforation in the segment 8. This bar 66isprovided at its upper end with a pin fitting aslot 67 in a handle 68secured to the controller drum 4. When the controller handle 7 is in theposition d the end of the bar 66 is fiush with thefront face of thesegment 8, and the handle 6 is free to move from the position to theposition c, the motor circuit at such time being broken. If, however,the handle 7 is in the position e or any of the other positionsthereabove, the end of the bar 66 projects'to the front of the segment8, and the handle. 6 is prevlentedfrom moving yfrom the position b tothe position '0. Danger of injuring the motor parts is thus avoided. Inorder to permit of the control of the igniter circuit by means of thecontroller 4 4and independent of the operation of the handle 6 thecontacts 69 and 70 are provided normally contacting with the plate 71when the controller is in' all positions but its neutral position d.

When in the position d the ignitercircuit is interrupted.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate a modied construction showing the connectionsand the controller employed where a series multiple bperation with adouble commutator is used, the additional commutator winding beingindicated by the reference numeral 86. ,The

lascars primed reference numerals and letters indicate parts whichcorrespond to theunprimed reference numerals and letters in Fig. 1, anda description of these parts is therefore omitted. The' battery 4b andigniter distributer 7b are'the same in construction as the parts 4a and7a in the construction of Fig. 1.

The primary distinctions in this structure as comparedwith that of Fig.1 reside in the controller 4', the modified connections, and the use ofthe additional commutator winding 86. The principle of operationthroughout is precisely the same as that in Fig. l, but the arrangementshown in Fig. 3 gives a greater variation in the speed of the electricmotor, due to the fact that in the first three operative positions ofthe controller, c', f', g', the current is directed in series throughthe series winding and the two armature windings, thus giving relativelylow speeds, while in the three positions L, i', and j the distributionof the current is a multiple one, one portion of the` current passing inseries through the series winding of the motor and one of the armatureWindings, and in another position -passes through the series winding andthe other armature winding.

When the-controller 4 is in the position illustrated with the handle 7in the position c, the supply of current to the motor is cut off as inthe other construction. In the neXt position e', the current, startingwith the wire 87, passes in series through the series winding of themotor, the two armature windings 54 and 86, one after the other, andthrough the resistance 48', thus giving a slow speed. In the nextposition, f', the path of the current is the same, with the exceptionthat the -right hand half of the resistance 48 is cut out, thus givingslightly higher speed. In the next position, g', all of the resistanceis cut out, the path of the current being Otherwise the same and passingin series through the two armature windings.

In the next position, la", of the controller 4, the .current is dividedatthe point 88,

and one part of it passes through the armature 54', the series windingand the resistance 48', while the other portion passes through theseries winding, the armature winding 86 and the resistance 48', thusgiving va multiple arrangement and a higher speed than in the positiong. In the successive positions i and y" the resistance 48 is cut out,the righthand half of the resistance being eliminated in the positionc", and the other halfin the position j. The course of the current whenthe controller is in the positions as before recited will be readilyunderstood without a detailed description, in view of the detaileddescription of Fig. 1, the principal difference in they controllerolibeing' in the use of the Contact plates 81, l82 .l

3, 84, and 85 arranged in two sets, as op.- posed to the'more commonarrangementv as illustrated in Fig. l.

ing the circuit unbroken, and in another p0-v sition throwing the clutchout'oi driving engagement but still leaving the circuit unbroken as inthe first position, and in a third position maintaining the clutch outof engagement but shifting the direction of the current through thearmature so that the motor dynamo runs backward.

2. In, combination in a mixed drive for a vehicle, a drive shaftconnected with the wheels of the vehicle, a compound wound motor dynamoha-ving its armature in driving engagement with the drive shaft, anexplosion engine, a clutch for connecting the engine with the driveshaft, a storage battery and controller in the dynamo motor seriescircuit, and a shifting member'arranged to control the said circuit andthe clutch,` said shifting member in one position causing d-rivingengagement of the clutch and leaving the circuit unbroken and under thecontrol of the controller with the current from the battery driving themotor dynamo and the vehicle forward, and in another position throwingthe clutch out of driving engagement and reversing the direction ofcurrent through the armature so that the motor dynamo runs backwarddriving the vehicle backward.

3. In combination in a mixed drive, a drive shaft, a compound woundmotor dynamo having its armature in driving engagement with the driveshaft, an eXplosion engine a clutch for connecting the engine with thedrive shaft, a storage battery and controller in the dynamo motor seriescircuit, an electric igniter adapted to be operated from the battery,and a shifting member arranged to control the said circuit the clutchand the application of current to the igniter, said shifting'member inone position causing driving engagement of the clutch and leaving themotor dynamo circuit and igniter circuit unbroken, and in anotherposition breaking the igniter circuit and throwing the clutch out ofdriving engagement, but still leaving themotor dynamo circuit unbrokenas sition.

.4. In combination vin .a mixed drive, e

in the first podrive shaft, a compound vwound motor dynamo having itsarmature in driving engagement with the drive shaft, an eXplosionengine, a clutch for connecting the engine with the drive shaft, astorage battery and controller in the dynamo motor series circuit, and ashifting member arranged to control the said circuit and the clutch,said shifting member in one position causing driving engagement or" theclutch and leaving the circuit unbroken and under the co trol oftliecontroller, in another positi n throwing the clutch out oi' drivingengagement but still leaving the circuit unbroken as in the firstposition, and in a third position maintaining the clutch out ofengagement but shifting the direction of the ourrent through thearmature so that the motor dynamo runs backward, and interlocking meanswhereby a Shift from the second to the third position is prevented untilthe controller is moved to neutral position.

5. in combination in a mixed drive, a drive shaft, a compound Woundmotor dynamo having its armature in driving engagement with the driveshaft, an explosion engine, a clutch for connecting the engine with thedrive shaft, a storage battery gagement but still leavingthe circuit11n-v,

broken as in the first position, and a second independently operableclutch in the drive between. the said armature and the drive shaft. Intestimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of thetwo subscribed witnesses.

HARRY F. HITNER. Witnesses:

BANNER M. ALLEN, J. W. JENKS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissionel of Patents. Washington, D. u.

